Community College Group Is Key To District’s Successful Teacher Training Program

When the school district in Sacramento, Calif., received funding for installing technology in its schools to the tune of $400,000, it then had to make sure its teachers were trained to use the technology effectively.

The Sacramento City Unified School District sought the assistance of a nonprofit group called the Community Colleges Foundation to draft an affordable training program for its teachers. The plan was to send about 30 teachers to training sessions at the foundation. After teachers attend a one-week training session, they return to the schools to apply what they learn, where they then train their colleagues on the instructional technology and multimedia skills they’ve acquired.